


Surrender

by mneiai



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Age Difference, Character Bashing, Exhibitionist Sylvanas, F/M, Slow Burn, Voyeur Nathanos, War, World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, bfa spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-26 23:18:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16690822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mneiai/pseuds/mneiai
Summary: Sometimes the only way to win is to surrender.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was started as a drabble originally posted [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13821060/chapters/38901506). The first chapter is a slightly modified version of the drabble and the following chapters will build off of that.
> 
> There will be slight spoilers for 8.1 and probably, eventually, 8.2.

The city was overrun, Horde pouring through the streets, running down any citizens unfortunate enough to still be within the walls. Anduin had given evacuation orders hours ago, had told people to prepare days before, as soon as the attack on the Deep Run Tram was known, the flooding of the tunnel making it impossible for most to make it through. Still, he understood stalling. And he understood the need to go down with the city.

The others had left, begging him to follow, and he'd given some sentiment that he might. It had been a lie, but he couldn't feel guilty. They may have stayed too long, long enough for the distortion field that cut off the portals to fall over Stormwind. Then they, too, would have died with him.

There was only the slightest trace of bitterness, when he thought of the Alliance leaders--if the Night Elf and Worgen leaders, and their military forces, had still been within reach, the Horde’s attack could have been repelled. But with storms and terrain cutting off the dwarf and gnome forces, there was little hope. 

Now he could see the procession coming up to the Keep and finally pulled himself away from the balcony, going to meet them. He descended the stairs, feeling as though the eyes of the statue were watching him, with four guards. Many of his personal retinue had refused to leave, but he had convinced most to stay within the throne room, so that the Horde would not see them as a threat.

"Finally out of your grandfather's clothing, I see," Sylvanas voice always had an echoing quality, even in the open air, that made Anduin want to shudder.

"I'm not here to fight." He was dressed in cloth, a nobleman's outfit, his armor resting back in his rooms. If he were to be executed, he wanted to be comfortable.

"Then what are you here for, little king?"

Anduin raised his chin, back straight, posture perfect. "I'm here to surrender on behalf of Stormwind. The surviving citizens do not deserve death." Or undeath, as she imagined she planned for them.

Sylvanas dismounted, stalking up to him, smirking. She watched him like he was prey, like she would devour him, as she always did across the battlefield. He blamed his teenage body for the odd reaction that always gained her, hoping she didn't notice the flush in his cheeks.

"So noble, sacrificing yourself for them," she purred, making Anduin imagine she knew exactly what she did to him. "But what if I don't agree?"

Her words were like being doused in cold water. "You could have Blighted this city. You could have destroyed it without setting foot inside. Instead you sent physical troops in, you isolated us, left us vulnerable, but still intact. You want something from Stormwind."

She chuckled and kept approaching, not stopping until she could reach out and mockingly stroke his hair. "People do say you can be clever, when not discouraged by your mutt or the others."

Anduin shifted, biting the inside of his lip, unsure of the response she expected.

"What if what I want, little king, is Stormwind itself?" She stepped closer still, her body pressed against his, forcing him to tilt his head up to meet her blazing eyes. "What if I want you kneeling before me, not simply surrendering, but offering yourself and all that you hold to the Horde? To ME?"

"You--you can't mean...."

"You'll survive this, Anduin Wrynn, as will your city, as will your people--well, the ones who cooperate. You'll tear down those gaudy Alliance banners, bar their peoples from your territories, and offer your allegiance to me. To the Horde."

Anduin felt dizzy. He had expected death, something he thought he could welcome with calm, with understanding, but this was something worse. Betraying the Alliance. Turning his back on his father and what he built.

Except....Anduin looked away, up at the statue, at the Keep, then out at the parts of the city he could see. His father had built this, too. And his mother. Bolvar, his namesake Anduin Lothar, so many had put their work into recreating Stormwind, giving their people back their home. It wasn't just about the Alliance.

And he thought most of them would understand, would know that Anduin wouldn't do this except in the most severe of circumstances.

He glanced back at his guards, the only other humans present, and saw uncertainty on their faces. Not hatred, not disgust. They, too, were weighing this option.

Behind Sylvanas, Nathanos and the Dark Rangers with him looked as they ever did, with cold annoyance, but Lor’themar seemed as though he’d been unaware of Sylvanas’ plans. Anduin was, at least, not the only one left off guard.

Taking a deep breath, Anduin stepped back. Anger flashed in Sylvanas' face, turning into surprised delight as he knelt before her.

"The sovereign state of Stormwind and its territories formally request membership to the Horde, Warchief."

She chuckled, brushing his cheek with the sharp talons of her gloves, cupping his chin and holding firm. "Your Warchief accepts."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, yeah, here's an actual new content chapter lol I never really expected to make this a fic, tbh, I wanted to but figured it would linger as a drabble, but the response from that drabble was definitely motivating!
> 
> I updated the tags a little, mostly to reflect that I'm thinking Nathanos is a very willing voyeur to the whole seduction and it's a bit of a game for him and Sylvanas.
> 
> Anyway, if anyone wants to discuss the fic, lore, ships, whatever with me, you can catch me on Tumblr at [manyangledone](https://manyangledone.tumblr.com).
> 
> And checkout the [WoW Shipping/Fanworks Discord](https://discord.gg/sQwVcF2) \- A place for features and fans to discuss ships and fanworks, with no ship hate!

Anduin made the announcement to Stormwind’s forces before recalling them. It meant there was a chance of the information reaching the wrong people too soon, but he would not trap his people here. They would know they were returning to be members of the Horde or that they should not return, at all.

A surprising number came back. As with Anduin, Stormwind was their home and while they felt strongly for the Alliance, it could not negate what they felt for their own people, their own place in the world. There was also, he was sure, a level of helplessness to it--where else did humans have to go, now? Kul’Tiras was the only other human kingdom that remained and there were only so many refugees it would be able to hold.

As expected, none of the Night Elves or Worgen returned. The Dwarven District was all but abandoned. The hollows where the Demon Hunters dwelled were significantly less crowded. Anduin saw this all as he toured the city, keeping his expression as soft and hopeful as he could manage. The people needed him to accept this, so they could accept this.

He’d expected the Embassy to be as empty as many of the other buildings frequented by foreigners, but instead it was bustling as he approached it, the ambassadors assigned to it looking more frazzled around the edges than ever before. 

Inside were members of almost all the Horde races, diplomats sent to work out trade deals, territorial disputes, to arrange shared forces to patrol the areas that now belonged to the Horde entirely, with Stormwind’s sudden turn. And even those he did not directly connect to the Horde, but realized now he should. There were trolls from the South, who fell under Zandalar’s rule. And goblins who had always professed to be neutral, despite everyone knowing they leaned towards the Horde. 

He had a quick meeting with his diplomats, as he called up whoever else he could find to assist. 

That led him, eventually, to SI:7’s headquarters. There were less people there, though they seemed just as active, in their own way.

And there was Shaw, deep inside, plotting with Renzik at his elbow. That his spymaster returned shouldn’t have been a surprise, but it was, and a welcome one at that. Anduin couldn’t hide the sheen of tears in his eyes and Shaw awkwardly approached him, hesitated, then pulled him into a fierce hug. 

“We can’t spare too many people for the Embassy, but we’ll send a few agents,” Shaw assured him, having pulled away, glaring at Renzik as if daring him to say something.

“Did...did so few of your people return?”

“We’re Stormwind Intelligence, my King, that hasn’t changed. We might have worked for and with the Alliance, but most of us are from Stormwind, or otherwise have allegiances to the city.” There was a certain tone to Shaw’s voice that made Anduin think that had always been a careful consideration with recruits. “However...there are those that didn’t return. They’re...being dealt with.”

Anduin stiffened. “I said people would have amnesty, that they could leave their positions if they didn’t wish to return.”

“And for the guard, the military, the merchants, that’s all well and good. For us, it’s another matter altogether. We can’t let the Alliance have some of the information they could get.”

How quickly they’d gone from being in the Alliance to seeing them as the enemy. Anduin almost wished he could do the same.

***

Nervous mages had setup a permanent portal to Orgrimmar and were working through resetting many of the others, tuning them, with the help of a few Blood Elves and Nightborne, to the Horde equivalents. 

Anduin had watched them as he waited for his retinue, occasionally glancing back at the new portal and watching the hazy view of squat, spiky buildings through it. He’d never been to Orgrimmar, of course, though his father and others had and had shared their perceptions (his father spoke of it far differently than most, having seen it not just during the Siege, but during his days of slavery, when it had been a fun, cosmopolitan place to stay over and not the home of the enemy). 

Finally, with a few guards, and diplomats, and fewer still agents that Shaw believed in, Anduin stepped through into the scalding heat and glaring sun of Durotar. 

The first person he saw was Nathanos, which if Anduin had any choice in the matter would have been the sign to turn back around. Beyond him was a Tauren that he didn’t recognize, who looked nice enough, and Ji Firepaw. Anduin gave a polite nod to Nathanos before smiling and greeting both of the others. Whoever had decided on them had been smart and known of Anduin’s connections to Baine and the Pandaran, though most did.

Nathanos snorted, turning away and walking without bothering to see if they would follow. Of course, they did.

“The High Chieftain regrets that he couldn’t be here, your majesty. The war has kept him in Zandalar,” the Tauren representative seemed nervous, making Anduin wonder what they’d expected from him. Baine had to have known about the attack, had made no effort to warn him--but of course he couldn’t, that would have been far more outright treason than anything he’d done before.

“I understand. I hope that we are able to see each other soon, but duty to our people must come first.” 

The Tauren, relaxing only slightly, nodded her thanks.

Ji filled in the silence after that, his voice low enough that Nathanos, now fairly far ahead of them, wouldn’t overhear. “Aysa wanted me to check on you, make sure you’re doing alright.”

Anduin’s practiced smile became a little more bittersweet. “I am as fine as circumstances allow. This process is stressful and I don’t think that will change for quite some time, but I am unharmed.” Except for the lack of sleep caused both by the stress and the persistent dreams of Sylvanas. Of the proprietary way she’d touched him, the heated look in her eyes as she instructed him on what it meant to be Horde.

He could only hope that meeting her again, in person, would help alleviate those. Now that she had Stormwind, she had no reason to play with him anymore.

But once they reached the interior of Grommash Hold, those hopes were dashed. She ordered the others away, keeping just Nathanos and some of her Dark Rangers there as guards, her eyes never leaving Anduin.

“You’re adjusting well, little king.” 

“I’m sure you’ve seen from your own people that humans are good at that, Warchief.”

Her gaze flicked to Nathanos, then back to Anduin. She raised her head up and Anduin’s eyes strayed to the long line of her neck, and down...before he forced them back up to her face. 

“And you’re not having any problems with...dissenters?”

He took a deep breath. “We’re taking care of it?”

“Oh? And who is ‘we’?” She stood, sauntering towards him. “You haven’t asked US for OUR assistance.”

“I meant my forces, Warchief. SI:7.”

She chuckled, circling around him. “Assassination, then? I wasn’t sure you had it in you.” She stopped circling when she was right behind him and pressed up against his back, her hands skirting up and down over his sides. “Would you like a reward for impressing me, little lion?” 

He saw Nathanos’ eyes locked over his shoulder and knew that they were exchanging looks, maybe communicating in the way those who worked together for long seemed to manage.And then Nathanos was looking him over, assessing him with a smirk on his face. Anduin shivered, his heart speeding up, a flush crawling up his cheeks. 

Just before he thought his body would start to show other, unmistakable signs of his interest in her, she moved away, stalking back to the throne. “You will inform Shaw that he is to work with my Deathstalkers on weeding out the traitors in your midst. I expect regular reports on the progress.”

Regaining some of his composure, Anduin bowed, using it as an excuse to stare at the ground before her and not have to look directly at her. “Yes, Warchief.”

“I also expect you to attend the weekly meetings of leaders I hold here in the Hold. I won’t have you slacking on your duties to the Horde just because you’re new.”

“Yes, Warchief.”

She chuckled and he finally looked up. “And if you stay so deliciously obedient, I WILL be rewarding you, little lion. Don’t doubt that.”

This time, Anduin wasn’t quite so ashamed about the time he needed alone in his room after meeting with her.


End file.
